Strange Days

"Strange Days" is a song by the Doors, released in 1967 as the first track on the album of the same name. AllMusic critic Tom Maginnis, wrote that the song seems to find lead singer Jim Morrison "pondering the state of the then emerging hippie youth culture and how they are perceived by mainstream or 'straight' society". The track is also recognised as one of the earliest showcases for the use of the Moog synthesizer, which Morrison plays. Composition The song's lyrics have been overviewed, notably by Tom Maginnis as being inspired following a visitation of the Doors in New York City. Along with other album tracks, "Strange Days" was composed before the date when it was recorded; a live performance recorded in May 1966 was captured on the album London Fog 1966, released later in 2016. The track is known for its distinctive usage of the Moog synthesizer which was made available the same year of the song's recording. In the Doors' biography No One Here Gets Out Alive, authors Danny Sugerman and Jerry Hopkins, described "Strange Days" as "one of the earliest examples of the Moog synthesizer in rock". The synth was provided by Jim Morrison to filter his vocals by playing notes, and it was hooked up with the help of Paul Beaver. Doors' engineer Bruce Botnick recalled the instrument's contribution: